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| Barack Obama warns leaders of Islamic State in speech: 'you are next' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Barack Obama sought to reassert himself as commander-in-chief on Monday, standing with military top brass at the Pentagon and warning leaders of Islamic State: “You are next.” | Barack Obama sought to reassert himself as commander-in-chief on Monday, standing with military top brass at the Pentagon and warning leaders of Islamic State: “You are next.” |
| The blunt tone, with its echoes of President George W Bush’s reference to “Wanted, dead or alive” posters in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks, appeared intent on defying critics who accuse the president of lacking aggression against jihadists in Iraq and Syria. But it disappointed those seeking a change of direction. | The blunt tone, with its echoes of President George W Bush’s reference to “Wanted, dead or alive” posters in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks, appeared intent on defying critics who accuse the president of lacking aggression against jihadists in Iraq and Syria. But it disappointed those seeking a change of direction. |
| Flanked by Vice-President Joe Biden, the defence secretary, Ash Carter, and three military generals, Obama condemned Isis leaders as thugs, thieves and killers and confirmed the death of Mohammed Emwazi, a Briton known as “Jihadi John”, in an air strike last month. | Flanked by Vice-President Joe Biden, the defence secretary, Ash Carter, and three military generals, Obama condemned Isis leaders as thugs, thieves and killers and confirmed the death of Mohammed Emwazi, a Briton known as “Jihadi John”, in an air strike last month. |
| “As we squeeze its heart, it will make it harder for Isil to pump its propaganda and terror to the world,” the president said, using an alternative acronym for the extremist group, in an eight-minute statement after meeting his national security council. | “As we squeeze its heart, it will make it harder for Isil to pump its propaganda and terror to the world,” the president said, using an alternative acronym for the extremist group, in an eight-minute statement after meeting his national security council. |
| America’s strategy of hunting down leaders, training forces and stopping the group’s financing and propaganda is moving forward “with a great sense of urgency”, he said, and had been intensifying efforts even before the terrorist attacks in Paris, France, and San Bernardino, California. But he acknowledged: “We recognise that progress needs to keep coming faster.” | America’s strategy of hunting down leaders, training forces and stopping the group’s financing and propaganda is moving forward “with a great sense of urgency”, he said, and had been intensifying efforts even before the terrorist attacks in Paris, France, and San Bernardino, California. But he acknowledged: “We recognise that progress needs to keep coming faster.” |
| Obama told reporters: “This continues to be a difficult fight. Isil is dug in, including in urban areas, and they hide behind civilians, using defenceless men, women and children as human shields. So even as we’re relentless, we have to be smart, targeting Isil surgically, with precision.” | Obama told reporters: “This continues to be a difficult fight. Isil is dug in, including in urban areas, and they hide behind civilians, using defenceless men, women and children as human shields. So even as we’re relentless, we have to be smart, targeting Isil surgically, with precision.” |
| The coalition is targeting Isis’s oil tanker trucks, wells and refineries, he said. “We are hitting Isil harder than ever.” | The coalition is targeting Isis’s oil tanker trucks, wells and refineries, he said. “We are hitting Isil harder than ever.” |
| In November, the coalition dropped more bombs on Islamic State targets than in any month since the campaign started, Obama continued. He listed several prominent Isis leaders, commanders and killers who have been “taken out”, including Emwazi, “who brutally murdered Americans and others”. | In November, the coalition dropped more bombs on Islamic State targets than in any month since the campaign started, Obama continued. He listed several prominent Isis leaders, commanders and killers who have been “taken out”, including Emwazi, “who brutally murdered Americans and others”. |
| The statement came at the start of a week-long push to explain his strategy for combating Islamist extremism abroad and its sympathisers at home. Obama is also slated to attend a briefing at the National Counterterrorism Center later in the week. | The statement came at the start of a week-long push to explain his strategy for combating Islamist extremism abroad and its sympathisers at home. Obama is also slated to attend a briefing at the National Counterterrorism Center later in the week. |
| But Republicans were unimpressed by the show of military muscle. The House majority leader, Kevin McCarthy, said: “The American people are smart enough to know when something is working or not, and it’s obvious that the president’s current strategy isn’t working.” | But Republicans were unimpressed by the show of military muscle. The House majority leader, Kevin McCarthy, said: “The American people are smart enough to know when something is working or not, and it’s obvious that the president’s current strategy isn’t working.” |
| Seven in 10 Americans rate the risk of another attack in the US as at least somewhat high, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll, up from five in 10 in January. Asked if Obama had consciously chosen to make his rhetoric more aggressive for public benefit, the White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, said when the president meets the national security council, “he is not looking at public opinion polls”. | Seven in 10 Americans rate the risk of another attack in the US as at least somewhat high, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll, up from five in 10 in January. Asked if Obama had consciously chosen to make his rhetoric more aggressive for public benefit, the White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, said when the president meets the national security council, “he is not looking at public opinion polls”. |
| In a change of emphasis from his Oval Office address just over a week ago, Obama promised: “We’re going after Isil from their stronghold right in downtown Raqqa [in Syria] to Libya, where we took out Abu Nabi, the Isil leader there. The point is Isil leaders cannot hide and our next message to them is simple: you are next.” | In a change of emphasis from his Oval Office address just over a week ago, Obama promised: “We’re going after Isil from their stronghold right in downtown Raqqa [in Syria] to Libya, where we took out Abu Nabi, the Isil leader there. The point is Isil leaders cannot hide and our next message to them is simple: you are next.” |
| Since this summer, Isis has not had a single successful major offensive operation on the ground in Iraq or Syria, Obama said. “So far Isil has lost about 40% of the populated areas it controlled in Iraq, and it will lose more … Isil’s lost thousands of square miles of territory it once controlled in Syria and it will lose more.” | Since this summer, Isis has not had a single successful major offensive operation on the ground in Iraq or Syria, Obama said. “So far Isil has lost about 40% of the populated areas it controlled in Iraq, and it will lose more … Isil’s lost thousands of square miles of territory it once controlled in Syria and it will lose more.” |
| Obama offered rare details on special forces operations, saying that in Syria they had started their work helping local groups cut off Isis supply lines and put pressure on Raqqa, the unofficial capital of Isis’s “caliphate”. | Obama offered rare details on special forces operations, saying that in Syria they had started their work helping local groups cut off Isis supply lines and put pressure on Raqqa, the unofficial capital of Isis’s “caliphate”. |
| Isis is also losing the propaganda war, the president said. “More people are seeing Isil for the thugs and the thieves and the killers that they are. We’ve seen instances of Isil fighters defecting, others who’ve tried to escape have been executed, and Isil’s reign of brutality and extortion continues to repel local populations and help fuel the refugee crisis. | Isis is also losing the propaganda war, the president said. “More people are seeing Isil for the thugs and the thieves and the killers that they are. We’ve seen instances of Isil fighters defecting, others who’ve tried to escape have been executed, and Isil’s reign of brutality and extortion continues to repel local populations and help fuel the refugee crisis. |
| “‘So many people are migrating’ said one Syrian refugee, ‘Isil will end up all alone.’ All this said, we recognise that progress needs to keep coming faster. Just as the United States is doing more in this fight … so must others.” | “‘So many people are migrating’ said one Syrian refugee, ‘Isil will end up all alone.’ All this said, we recognise that progress needs to keep coming faster. Just as the United States is doing more in this fight … so must others.” |
| He has asked Carter to go to the Middle East from Monday to work with the coalition to secure greater contributions, he added. | He has asked Carter to go to the Middle East from Monday to work with the coalition to secure greater contributions, he added. |